Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1887-04-24
AN OPEN LETTER.
Comments on a Recent Report of State
Superintendent Baker.

comments on recent Report or state
Superintendent Baker.
TAMPA, FLA, February 8, 1887.
Hon. B. NJ. Baker, ex- State Superb tendent
Public Instruction, Austin, Tex:
DEAR SIR-The writer hereof was most
agreeably and probably entertained by
reading in the December number of the
Texas School Journal your very able and
excellent report, and fully concurG with
you IN all that you "conceive to be the
necessary amendments to the present
law" and sincerely wishes they may
all be made at the present SEES
sion of the Legislature, if it be
possible TO make them now, espe-
cially the one li>hing county
superintency. He heartily cOngratulates
you and the people of Texas upon your
almost unprecedented success in elevating
the status of the public free schools of
the sta,e to a standard which compares
favOrably with that of any other state in
the Union. No one can rejoice more
geuinely than he does at the rapid,
permanent and thorough advancement
The cause of education in the state
has made under your wise and
judicious administration, especially the
wonderful improvement made in the
State Teachers Associations, particularly
the two last. But he is somewhat sur
prised to learn from your report that the
Teachers annual associations prior to
1884 awakened no enthusiasm" He Is
aware that the meeting under the presi-
dency of Rev. DR.. Anderson, at COrsicana
in 1881, and the one under the presidency
of General L. M. Lewis, at Tyler in 1882,
were not numerOuSly attended,; buB he
did not know that they were entirely de
void of enthusiasm, although be was
present at both meetings., and IL led to
believe that the statement was agnOrantly
or inadVertent y made.
Why, sir, you can scarcely imagine
how, for four consecutive days, at each
of these meetings, Rev. Dr.. r. C.. Burle-
SOD, Rev. DR.. William Carey Crane, Gen
eral l.. NJ. Lewis, d D, General John g.
Moore, Professors Smith Ragsdale, John
Collier, J. r. Malone, O. N. Holdings
worth, W. A Banks, W. II. Coleman, w.
NJ Crow, W. L. Brughurst and scores of
others of the most advanced teachers IN
the state could spend from eight to ten
hours each day discussing educational
topics and not awaken any entnusi-
asm at al |; an utter impOssiOility
And how the meeting at Galveston In
1888, much more numerous, attended
than those of 1872, and by the most
prominent edu, atOrs in Texas at that
time, aud FROM all portions of the state
and from nearly every important city or
town, excepting Anstin, and particiDated
in by Governor Ireland, Ex-Governor
Roberts DR.. Ashbel Smith, DR.. J. Bald
win, Rev. DR.. Carey Crane, Professors
Alexander Hogg, Smith Rsgsdale,
w. C. Bote, H. 8. Gwyn, j. T. Hand, II.
Carr. Prltchett, Charles Carlton,
W. M. Crow, Major John M. Richardson,
Mrs. Walden, Misses V. E. Garland, Eliza
Moore, Laura Malone, Mrs. Willie D.
House and 100 or more others of the most
wide-swake and progressive teachers in
the state, could have failed to awaken, at
least, some enthusiasm, is wonderful, and
can be accounted for only from the uDfor-
tunate circumstance of the absence of the
sec: etary of the board of education 1--WE
had no state superintendent at that time)
from the meeting.
By consulting the proceedings Of that
meeting you will find the best schools in
the state, both public and private, were
represented in it, and though, perhaps,
less numerously attended, the work done
will compare tavorably with that of any
OF the subsequent meetings. I have the
honor 10 be, very truly, your friend and
obedient servant,
MACON B.FRANKLIN.